释义 |
pull out all the stops
pull P0653200 (po͝ol)v. pulled, pull·ing, pulls v.tr.1. To apply force to (something) so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the source of the force: pulled her chair up to the table; pulled the wagon down the street.2. To remove from a fixed position; extract: The dentist pulled the tooth.3. To tug at; jerk or tweak: I pulled the lever until it broke.4. To rip or tear; rend: The dog pulled the toy to pieces.5. To stretch (taffy, for example) repeatedly.6. To strain (a muscle, for example) injuriously.7. Informal To attract; draw: a performer who pulls large crowds.8. Slang To draw out (a weapon) in readiness for use: pull a gun; pulled a knife on me.9. Informal To remove: pulled the car's engine; pulled the tainted meat product from the stores.10. Sports To hit (a ball) so that it moves in the direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.11. Nautical a. To operate (an oar) in rowing.b. To transport or propel by rowing.c. To be rowed by: That boat pulls six oars.12. To rein in (a horse) to keep it from winning a race.13. Printing To produce (a print or an impression) from type.v.intr.1. To exert force in moving something toward the source of the force: Pull harder and the window will open.2. a. To move in a certain direction or toward a certain goal: pulled into the driveway; pulled even with the race leader.b. To gain a position closer to an objective: Our team has pulled within three points of the league leader.3. To drink or inhale deeply: pulled on the cold beer with gusto; pull on a cigarette.4. Nautical To row a boat.5. Informal To express or feel great sympathy or empathy: We're pulling for our new president.n.1. The act or process of pulling: gave the drawer a pull.2. Force exerted in pulling or required to overcome resistance in pulling: How much pull does this tugboat have?3. A sustained effort: a long pull across the mountains.4. Something, such as a knob on a drawer, that is used for pulling.5. A deep inhalation or draft, as on a cigarette or of a beverage.6. Slang A means of gaining special advantage; influence: The lobbyist has pull with the senator.7. Informal The ability to draw or attract; appeal: a star with pull at the box office.Phrasal Verbs: pull ahead To move ahead, as in a race. pull away1. To move away or backward; withdraw: The limousine pulled away from the curb.2. To move ahead of another or others: The horse pulled away and took the lead in the race. pull back1. To withdraw or retreat.2. To reduce one's involvement in a given enterprise. pull down1. To demolish; destroy: pull down an old office building.2. To reduce to a lower level: The bad news pulled down stock prices.3. To depress, as in spirits or health.4. Informal To draw (money) as wages: pulls down a hefty salary. pull in1. To arrive at a destination: We pulled in at midnight.2. To obtain, earn, or secure: How much money does he pull in? She pulled in half of the opponent's supporters.3. To rein in; restrain: pulled in the investigators.4. To arrest (a criminal suspect, for example). pull off Informal To accomplish in spite of difficulties or obstacles; bring off: pulled off a last-minute victory. pull out1. To leave or depart: The train pulls out at noon.2. To withdraw, as from a situation or commitment: After the crash, many Wall Street investors pulled out. pull over1. To bring a vehicle to a stop at a curb or at the side of a road: We pulled over to watch the sunset.2. To force (a motorist or a vehicle) to stop at a curb or at the side of a road: The state trooper pulled the speeding motorist over. pull round To restore or be restored to sound health. pull through To come or bring successfully through trouble or illness. pull up1. To bring or come to a halt: The driver pulled the car up at the curb. The car pulled up in front of the hotel.2. To approach and arrive at a destination: We watched the plane pull up to the gate.3. To increase or cause to increase in altitude: The plane pulled up just enough to miss the tower.4. To advance or regain position, as in a race.5. To check the action of: The remark pulled him up short.6. To reprove or rebuke: They were pulled up for wasting money.7. Basketball To stop one's progress and bring the ball up above one's head in order to take a jump shot.Idioms: pull a fast one Informal To play a trick or perpetrate a fraud. pull (oneself) together To regain one's composure. pull (one's) punches To refrain from deploying all the resources or force at one's disposal: didn't pull any punches during the negotiations. pull (one's) weight To do one's own share, as of work. pull out all the stops Informal To deploy all the resources or force at one's disposal: The Inaugural Committee pulled out all the stops when arranging the ceremonies. pull (someone's) leg To play a joke on; tease or deceive. pull something To carry out a deception or swindle: worried that his partners might be trying to pull something behind his back.pull strings/wires Informal To exert secret control or influence in order to gain an end. pull the plug on Slang To stop supporting or bring to an end: pulled the plug on the new art courses. pull the rug (out) from under Informal To remove all support and assistance from, usually suddenly. pull the string Baseball To throw an off-speed pitch. pull the wool over (someone's) eyes To deceive; hoodwink. pull together To make a joint effort. pull up stakes To clear out; leave: She pulled up stakes in New England and moved to the desert. [Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian.] pull′er n.Synonyms: pull, drag, draw, haul, tow1, tug These verbs mean to cause something to move toward the source of an applied force. Pull is the most general: They pulled the sleds up a hill. Drag stresses the effort involved in pulling, and also often that the object being moved is trailing along a surface: "His hands were dirty too, and they streaked his face as he dragged his fingers against his cheeks" (Paul Theroux). Draw can be used to imply movement in a given direction: The teacher drew the children into the room to see the decorations. Draw can also be used to indicate pulling so as to cover or uncover another object: She draws the curtains so we can see the sunlight. To haul is to pull an object that is heavy, cumbersome, or otherwise difficult to move: "All three of us roll the drum to the driveway, flattening a strip of knee-high grass, acting like we haul mystery drums every day" (Mark Wisniewski). Tow means to pull by means of a chain or line: Some cars can tow trailers. Tug emphasizes repeated and sometimes vigorous pulling: "A strong-willed baby, wide awake and not to be ignored, already reaching out filament fingers to tug at her" (Tana French).Antonym: pushpull out all the stops - Refers to the knobs and levers on a church organ that control the pipes; pulling out all the stops will result in the full range of pitch and maximum volume.See also related terms for pulling.ThesaurusVerb | 1. | pull out all the stops - use all resources available; "The organizers pulled out all the stops for the centennial meeting"apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize - put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
pull out all the stops
pull out all the stopsTo do something with maximum effort or ability; to use all or the best available resources when doing something. The company pulled out all the stops for the CEO's retirement party. The senator is going to have to pull out all of the stops if he's to have any chance of winning this election. What a fabulous party, Mary—you really pulled out all the stops!See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the stopsUse all the resources or force at one's disposal, as in The police pulled out all the stops to find the thief. This term comes from organ-playing, where it means "bring into play every rank of pipes," thereby creating the fullest possible sound. It has been used figuratively since about 1860. See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the stops COMMON If you pull out all the stops, you do everything you possibly can to make something happen in the way that you want it to. They pulled out all the stops to win the contract. I pulled out all the stops to finish on time. Note: This expression is very variable. For example, you can omit all or the, or put an adjective before stops. She pulled out the stops to beat her opponent. Pimlott's excellent new production pulls out all the theatrical stops. Note: On a church organ, the stops are the knobs which you pull or push in order to control the type of sound that comes out of the pipes. The organ plays loudest when all the stops are out. See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the stops make a very great effort; go to elaborate lengths. The stops referred to here are those of an organ. Although this is an early 20th-century expression, Matthew Arnold , in the Preface to Essays in Criticism ( 1865 ) refers to an attempt on his behalf ‘to pull out a few more stops in that…somewhat narrow-toned organ, the modern Englishman’.See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the ˈstops (informal) do everything you can to make something successful: We’ll have to pull out all the stops to get this order ready by the end of the week.You pull out the stops on an organ when you want to make the music very loud.See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the stops tv. to use everything available; to not hold back. (Refers to pulling out all of the stops on an organ so that it will sound as loud as possible.) Don’t pull out all the stops in the first round. Wait till he’s tired in the third and clobber him good. See also: all, out, pull, stop pull out all the stops Informal To deploy all the resources or force at one's disposal: The Inaugural Committee pulled out all the stops when arranging the ceremonies.See also: all, out, pull, stoppull out all the stops, toTo do one’s utmost; to use all of one’s resources. This term comes from organ-playing. To pull out all the organ stops means to bring into play each rank of pipes, thus providing the fullest possible sound. The term was transferred to other activities in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Matthew Arnold alluded to it in Essays in Criticism (1865): “How unpopular a task one is undertaking when one tries to pull out a few more stops in that . . . somewhat narrow-toned organ, the modern Englishman.” A more recent synonymous phrase is put the pedal to the metal. A term from auto racing coined in the 1970s, it refers to the fact that in racing cars the floor under the gas pedal is naked metal. When the driver pressed the pedal down to the metal, he or she was giving the engine the most gas possible. It may become a cliché.See also: all, out, pullEncyclopediaSeepullFinancialSeePullpull out all the stops
Words related to pull out all the stopsverb use all resources availableRelated Words- apply
- employ
- use
- utilise
- utilize
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